Advice on Buying Laptops

Since I work with computers as a computer security consultant and a long time software developer, I am VERY FREQUENTLY asked information on what kind of laptop to buy for home, small business,  etc, etc, etc... So, I decided to resurrect my blog presence with a short guide and a couple of suggestions.  Let me say that this article is personal opinion only.  I am not paid for this advice, do not represent any particular company, etc.  So, if you have a bone to pick with what I say -  keep it to yourself.  This is just my opinion and this advice has worked pretty well for several friends of my wife and I.

The first "Coke versus Pepsi" fight is between PC and Mac.  With all due respect to the mud-slinging commercials from both Apple and Microsoft, to me it boils down to one thing:  personal preference.  They both have their pluses and minuses:

PC Pros

-  More easily supported

-  Generally Cheaper

-  More available Software

-  More peripherals

PC Cons

-  Less Stable

-  Often performance bound

-  More susceptible to security threats (because more people try to attack them, not because one is better than the other.

Mac Pros

-  Stylish

-  Very Stable

-  Easy to Use 

Mac Cons

-  More expensive

-  Only can buy hardware from Apple - no third party

-  Peripherals and Software are harder to come by

That said, I actually own both.  Now I know there are other solutions out there like Linux (which I also have), but if you are actually reading this and wanting Linux (and know how to use it), then this guide is not for you.  You are a techno that already knows this stuff.  You use 10 year old laptops covered in stickers, but also have a gaming machine worth more than your car.  You read technical blogs all day, surf the net to smash on n00bs in the latest game craze, and you hack like nobody else's business.  

For the rest of the world...  I generally would favor PC's these days for a "first timer" though I will say it is by a very narrow margin.  Simply because there really is more support available out there to you.  I actually prefer my Mac as a work machine but do have to do a bit more to get drivers, find compatible hardware, etc.  So, this article will focus on PC laptop choices.

I am not a big fan of celeron processors. I would look for something with an Intel Core Duo or an AMD, even for a laptop. Minimum Specs I would look for with a "general purpose" business machine:

1- Nothing less than 2GB of memory
2- Processor in a 2.1GhZ class or better
3- 160 GB hard drive SOUNDS good, but often ends up being too little as biz grows - I outgrow them quickly. You can either get external USB drives (you can 750 GB - 1 TB for < $200 today), or I would get a laptop with a hard drive of 250 GB or better.

4-  Video Card (even if you don't want to do gaming, a good video card is important for all kinds of things like photos, videos, etc)

As for operating system, Vista is doing pretty well these days, but needs to be tuned for a laptop. All that visual stuff to make it look "purty" slows laptops down, that are designed to run with a minimum of batter possible. When you get your laptop I can help you through this configuration a bit.  I have Vista and XP, either in my mind is still a good choice.

I will pass on one thing... I just got a HP TX2-1020US TouchSmart 12.1-Inch Laptop (2.2 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium). I use it as my general "office" machine for email, documents, light browsing, etc. It is a good size and has good performance characteristics.  Before someone that knows HP chokes on that last statement, let me say that HP is well known for it's "bloatware" which means extra software that bogs down performance to an annoying level.  Clean all that junk off, and it runs pretty darn well.  It is also a touchpad laptop - meaning you can use your fingers or stylus on the screen which is surprisingly awesome. It has 4gb memory, 2.1 processor, and a 320gb hard drive. A nice machine for the money. Middle of the road laptop that runs really well.

Some keep asking me about these 8.9 and 10" laptops like Acer Aspire One 8.9-inch Mini Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB Solid State Drive, Linpus Linux Lite) White
and

  ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, XP Home) Brushed Aluminized

These are great value, but are very small and really meant for very light usage.  They have their place, but if you are going to do any serious writing on this tiny keyboard, it is kind of like being a Tyrannosaurus Rex and picking up food from the ground... They also have too small of screens meaning web browsing is complicated - most pages today are 1028x768 or greater resolution and these screens are 800x600.  I wouldn't get anything less than a 12.1" laptop for general use.

Extras ( Some things to think about ):
1- Webcam is nice for small business for video chat. The HP I mentioned has that.
2- Bluetooth (HP does NOT have that) - good if you want to use your phone or a bluetooth headset later
3- Wireless - absolutely essential these days, 802.11a,b,g, or n
4- Fingerprint reader - the HP I have has one, and I like it. Security features can help protect your business data 
5- External USB Drive - Get one to back up your business data. Laptops fail more than desktops from all the jostling around - and "not so nice on technology" husbands increase this risk :) You don't want to lose your business because of a failed hard drive. Back up frequently and often
6- Docking station - good to leave an external monitor, usb drive, mouse, power supply, etc plugged in to your home or office so you can easily dock/remove your computer. 
7- External monitor - laptops suck when it comes to doing anything more than cursory documents, email, etc. External monitor will greatly reduce strain on the eyes.
8- If you are going to travel, look for an extra battery or an auto/air adapter for your laptop.

9-  SD Card Reader - sometimes integrated in laptops.  Makes it easy to transfer files from your camera to your PC.

For software:
1- Don't forget a virus scanner... don't leave home without it.. seriously :) 
2- You can do a lot with free office utilities such as OpenOffice, Star Office, etc. If your spreadsheet/document needs are light, they would work fine. If you send/receive a lot of Word documents at all, you should consider a basic edition of Microsoft Office

3-  For instant messaging, I avoid Yahoo, AOL, and MSN all together - too many bots, odd-balls, viruses, etc and most communications are wide open (unencrypted) - as a security person I can stand this.  I prefer Skype, and I get the Business edition.  It's free, encrypted, and includes not only chat, but also video and voice (Skype is primarily a free voice over IP solution).  You can call land line phones in a pinch as well (low cost of around $.02/minute last time I checked), and you can do some fun stuff like drag and drop file sharing.  I use it extensively for business these days.  A headset and video camera round this out nicely.

4-  Everyone likes photos:  I use Picasa at  http://picasa.google.com, and it's online web album http://picasaweb.google.com. Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) is also pretty popular, though I have not used it.

5-  For EDITING your photos, there are plenty of pay versions out there, and sometimes you just need 'em..  But for most folk's needs (and even many specialized needs, you really can't go wrong with The Gimp (goofy pulp-fiction style name aside) at http://www.gimp.org

6- For web browsing, I use both the new Google browser and Firefox.  Sometimes ya just need good 'ol Internet Explorer, though.  If there is ANYTHING you can do, always watch out when you install new software, and avoid installing any toolbars like the plague. They wreck performance, take up window space, and can even introduce very difficult to resolve issues on your computer.

Maintaining your Shiny New Toy

1-  Keep your virus scanner going

2-  Get a registry cleaning solutions like Registry Mechanic and use the "compact registry"tools - but I do NOT let it leave a registry monitor active on my machine all the time.  Registry mechanic also has a "performance"option that helps you minimize the number of services loaded on your computer, meaning faster performance"  http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/

3-  Anti-spyware:  I usually recommend TWO.  Windows Defender comes on the OS these days, so that is a start.  I also like either SpyBot  or AdAware Free

4-  Run Disk Check, DeFrag, registry clean/compact, and virus scan at least monthly

Security

Something everyone needs to think about these days:

1-  Use the Windows firewall or one that comes with your virus scanner.  

2-  Never "direct connect" to the Internet - use network devices, access points, etc that have a firewall built in

3-  Use that virus scanner

4-  NEVER open attachments that you are not ABSOLUTELY sure what it is, and use the automatic virus scanning feature in your anti-virus software

5-  USE passwords, and NEVER give them out, and use something difficult like Egw3n3!#, something not easily guessed.  Don't write your passwords down, and never use those "auto-login" or "remember me" features - anyone with access to your machine can use your accounts.

6-  Create a free email account on Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, whatever. Whenever a site asks for your email address, give them that address.  Periodically go in and clean it out and look for anything important to cut down on spam, etc.  Use this email also to register software, register for websites, etc.  People that give your email or sell it is how you get tons of spam, using this technique saves me lots of frustration.  I created a folder called "permanent storage" that I put important stuff like account info, serial number from registered software, etc in there. That way I always have it...   Keep your personal email as your personal email for friends, family, etc.  and never use it to register for instant messengers, websites, accounts, free stuff, etc.

Anyway, this is a ridiculously long post, but hopefully useful ... and won't have to do this again every time someone asks me now ;)